Got 16 minutes to spare?? IF so then why not killing it by watching this awesome presentation from back in 2009 by Tim burners-Lee from TED where he recalls and shares details on linked data – entertaining no matter how many times you watch it!
Archives for December 8, 2010
SimpleGeo Context and Places (free POI DB) roll out in Public Beta
Via the SimpleGeo blog, today the team has rolled out a couple of pretty big announcements – enter SimpleGeo Places and SimpleGeo Context which are now in public Beta – sounds like Christmas has come early for mobile devs!
Some details from Simplegeo… SimpleGeo Context provides relevant contextual information such as geographic boundaries, weather, and demographics for a specific location. SimpleGeo Places is a free database of business listings and points of interest (POIs) that enables real-time community collaboration.
Look for mobile (LBS) developers to come out with some creative apps and services [hopefully] with the addition of these offerings to the SimpleGeo toolset. Also mentioned in the post is word that a storage offering (think Cloud) will possibly come out in private Beta in mid-2011 – See http://simplegeo.com/ Source: SimpleGeo Blog
SimpleGeo Places and SimpleGeo Context products are now and will forever be completely free and without any restrictions. (SimpleGeo)
Starting Jan 2011 You Can Become Esri Certified
Some interesting news out of Redlands as Esri has announced their plans to commence the certification of Esri Technology users via the Esri Technical Certification Program – simply put, Earning a certification will mean an individual possesses a high level of technical expertise using Esri software – Esri Technical Certifications are awarded in different areas of expertise (Desktop, Developer, Enterprise) at both an Associate and Professional level. Additionally, they have also made available sub-categories for more specific certification like ArcGIS desktop developer, mobile developer, web application developer – all at associate (good working knowledge, familiarity etc…) and professional levels (advanced configuration skills).
No doubt some in the industry may be vocal about this effort as the topic of certification always seems to be a highly contentious one spurring loads of debate and discussion. OF note though, rather than industry-at-large certification (think GISP), this is vendor specific and aimed at the Esri technology user and professional, an excellent idea in my mind and I like the separate designations of Developer or enterprise user! Note, The Esri Technical Certification Program complements the geographic information system professional (GISP) certification available in the United States through the GIS Certification Institute, which certifies that GIS professionals have met minimum standards for ethical conduct and professional practice. Read more in the official announcement or see the Esri Certification Home at http://training.esri.com/certification/
